


Molly of Meryton

by TribulationPeriwinkle



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 05:16:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11913981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribulationPeriwinkle/pseuds/TribulationPeriwinkle
Summary: A Pride and Prejudice retelling with Sherlock as Darcy and Molly as Lizzie.  Sincere apologies to the ghost of Jane Austen.For Mouse 9, who requested A Pride and Prejudice retelling.





	Molly of Meryton

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mouse9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mouse9/gifts).



> It's unfinished, Mouse9, but I promise I'll get the rest done. I really planned on just doing a scene or two, but I got started and wanted to do the whole thing. Coming up: Anderson as Mr. Collins and Moriarity as Wickham. Also Mycroft as Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

The citizens of Meryton were in universal agreement that no assembly was complete without the presence of the five Hooper daughters. Miss Rosamund Mary (known to her friends and family simply as “Mary”), Miss Margaret (known affectionately as “Molly”) and their three younger sisters (Anthea, Janine and Kitty) were esteemed for their beauty and wit (in the case of Mary and Molly), their piety (especially in the case of Anthea), and their liveliness of spirit (as in the case of Janine and Kitty).

The truth was, perhaps, more complicated. Mary, for example, was most assuredly lovely and possessed in company of a gentle wit. At home, she was often heard to chafe against the restrictions of society. Miss Rosamund Mary Hooper longed for adventure. “I am convinced that I would make an outstanding soldier,” she explained one spring afternoon to her closest friends--her sister Molly and their neighbor Miss Sally Donovan. “Or perhaps a spy. I should excel at spycraft, of that I am sure.”

“I have no doubt of it,” Sally replied. “Just as our Molly would make an excellent physician, were such a thing possible for women.”

Miss Molly Hooper was her father’s favorite daughter and the despair of her mother, who frequently worried about whether her second daughter would ever find a husband who could tolerate Molly’s penchant for reading books on human anatomy and her interest in the latest discoveries in the scientific community.

“Sadly,” Molly said, “such things are not possible. Lately, I have taken to wondering whether Mary and I would fare better in America. Perhaps such a young nation would be more open to women with ambitions such as ours.”

Mary laughed, a sound which always filled her friends with delight. “Could you imagine our mother’s reaction to such a scheme? ‘America?’ Here she gave an accurate imitation of their mother’s high-pitched voice. ‘My girls, how will you ever find well-bred, wealthy husbands in the wilds of America?’”

Molly sighed. “It is regrettable that Mama is so obsessed with the necessity of finding a wealthy husband for each of her daughters.”

Here Sally interjected. “I do think you judge your poor mother too harshly. She has five daughters and no sons, and your father’s estate is entailed to a distant relative you have never met. Upon your poor father’s death (and I hasten to add that I do wish Mr. Hooper a long and healthy life), the six of you will be required to remove from Longbourn and live upon whatever monies dear Mr. Hooper has bequeathed to you. Any mother would despair under such circumstances.”

“I suppose,” Molly answered, “but if I must marry, I would prefer to find a man I could esteem for his intellect more than his fortune. And such men are in short supply in Meryton.”  
“Then you will be doubly intrigued by the news I bring today,” Sally said with a smile. “It seems that a tenant has recently been found for Netherfield Park. My father tells us that the new tenant is a doctor, returned from the wars in the last year, with a substantial fortune. And he brings with him a friend from London who is said to be of even greater wealth.”

“Mama will be beside herself deciding which of us girls is meant for for each of these gentlemen,” Mary replied, a devilish smile on her face.

“Can there be any doubt?” Sally asked. “A doctor is a perfect match for our Molly.”

“Perhaps not,” Molly replied. “After all, I would vastly prefer to be a doctor myself, not to be married to one. And this gentleman is an Army doctor. Should he return to the field, Mary could accompany him and have enough adventures to satisfy her thirst for an extraordinary life.”

“I had rather thought the second gentleman would be more to Mary’s liking,” Sally confided. “It is said that, even though he is from one of the finest families in the country, he has been known to consult with Bow Street on their more puzzling cases.”

“Oh, that does sound promising!” Mary exclaimed. “When will these paragons arrive in our community?”

“Next week,” Sally said. “I imagine we shall all have an opportunity to dance with them at the next assembly. And then we can determine which gentleman is meant for Mary and which is the best match for Molly.”

***************  
As Mary had so rightly pointed out, Mrs. Hooper was thrilled to discover that Netherfield Park was to let. In the ensuing week, Mrs. Hooper had shown a talent for spycraft that rivaled her eldest daughter’s, learning everything that could be gleaned about the two gentlemen on their way to Meryton. “The doctor’s name is John Watson,” she informed her husband and daughters at dinner. “He is said to have served with distinction, but he was invalided out last year. He brings with him his elder sister Harriet and her two companions. That is worrying, girls, for these ladies may have their own plans to ensnare Mr. Holmes.”

Mrs. Hooper had the unfortunate habit of jumping ahead in a conversation, taking for granted that her audience possessed information that she had not bothered to provide for them.

“Who is Mr. Holmes, Mama?” Kitty, the youngest daughter, asked.

“Did I not say?” Mrs. Hooper asked. “Mr. Holmes, my girls, is an even better match than Dr. Watson. Mr. Holmes, it is said, comes from a most distinguished family and possesses no less than 40,000 pounds a year! You shall be a most fortunate young lady if you can get him, Kitty dear, and you can put your sisters in the way of other wealthy young men once you are Mrs. Sherlock Holmes!”

“Sherlock?” Here Kitty scrunched her nose up in distaste. “What sort of ridiculous name is Sherlock? Mama, I could never marry a man with such name! Best give him to Janine.”

Janine, who followed Kitty’s lead in most things, also expressed distaste. “I’d rather have a soldier, I think. There’s to be a militia residing in Meryton soon, and we can find husbands among the dashing Redcoats. Give Sherlock Holmes and his 40,000 pounds to Annie. She enjoys ridiculous names.”

The middle Hooper daughter had been christened Anne, but she was given to changing her name to something more distinguished at regular intervals. For the last year, she had insisted on being addressed as “Anthea.”

“I should prefer a parson, I think.” Anthea had assessed her role in the family at an early age. If she could not be the cleverest, like Mary and Molly, or the liveliest, like Janine and Kitty, she would be the Hooper distinguished for her good works. “Molly can have him.”

Molly smiled. “I think I shall wait until I see this paragon before I commit myself to him for life. A fortune does much to endear a man to a single lady, but I must insist on a pleasant visage and a pleasant manner before I agree to become Margaret Holmes.”

Mrs. Hooper frowned at the fact that her daughters were not appreciative of this matrimonial prize in their midst, but Mr. Hooper and Mary exchanged amused glances with Molly, and the dinner conversation moved on to other topics.

********  
Mr. Sherlock Holmes did indeed have a pleasant visage. Every lady in Meryton noticed this immediately on the night of the assembly. Recently married women looked at their husbands and sighed, wishing they’d had the foresight to realize that a hero out of Byron’s poems were step into their midsts; unmarried ladies begged their mamas and papas to secure an introduction and silently cursed the fact that the waltz was not approved at the Meryton assembly. Surely waltzing with Mr. Holmes, with his beautiful blue eyes, his wild dark curls, and his 40,000 pounds would have been the thrill of a lifetime!

The Hooper sisters were fortunate enough to secure introductions right away, thanks to their friendship with Sally Donovan. Sally’s father, as Meryton’s pre-eminent citizen (the only resident who had acquired a title, minor though it may have been), was more than happy to prove to the distinguished newcomers that their little village boasted such lovely and lively young women.

Dr. John Watson, everyone who met him agreed, was a very pleasant young man. His service in the wars against Napoleon would certainly have endeared him to the population, but his willingness to dance and converse with the ladies ensured that Meryton’s matrons sang his praises. As he led Miss Mary Hooper onto the ballroom floor, Sir William Donovan turned to Mr. Holmes.

“And I am sure Miss Margaret Hooper would be grateful for your company,” Sir William said.

Mr. Holmes gave Molly a long, appraising look. “I do not dance,” he said and turned away.

Sir William was unaccustomed to having his suggestions taken as anything less than order. He appeared uncertain of what to do next. Despite the feeling of utter humiliation that Molly felt at the moment, she felt rather bad for her friend’s father. She placed a comforting hand on his arm. “Sir William,” she said, “I am very glad Mr. Holmes decided not to dance. It will give me an opportunity to talk with you. Sally tells me you have recently returned from London, and you must know that I am all curiosity to discover how the ladies of that city are dressing these days. Would you oblige a young lady who came to the assembly just to learn from you what the latest fashions are?”

As Sir William confided to his wife later that night, the incident demonstrated Miss Molly’s generous nature and her good breeding that she had been more concerned with his own embarrassment than hers. And as Mrs. Donovan confided in the coming days to anyone who would listen, Mr. Holmes’ bad behavior demonstrated that the wealthy did not always possess the good manners that were second nature to the Margaret Hoopers of the world.

***********  
“Bored!” Sherlock Holmes announced to his best friend as that gentleman returned to his side after a second dance with Mary Hooper. 

“How can you possibly be bored at such an assembly? Given the number of people in attendance, I would have thought you in the midst of your deductions.”

“Simple country folks with simple country passions. That fellow over by the punch bowl? Clearly in debt to the man with the hideous purple waistcoat. The matron sitting in the corner is with child, but the father is not her husband. Boring!”

John Watson was too used to both his friend’s deductions and his curt manner to be offended or surprised. “Well, if you cannot be entertained by deducing everyone in sight, why do you not try dancing? I know for a fact that you enjoy the activity, and there are a number of lovely ladies without partners.”

Sherlock gave a rather inelegant noise of disgust. “Lovely? I will grant you that Miss Mary Hooper, who has obviously won your heart this evening, is both attractive and clever. So far, however, she seems to be the only lady in Meryton who possesses those qualities.”

“Now that, Sherlock Holmes, is a most ungenerous thing for you to say! It is also inaccurate. Take, for example, Miss Margaret Hooper. She is a very lovely lady. I danced with her myself after my first dance with her sister and found her to be a most charming companion.”

“I take it Miss Margaret Hooper is the shorter of the sisters? Shall I tell you what I have deduced about her?”

“I know you well enough to realize that I could not stop you from doing so no matter how hard I begged.”

“Miss Margaret Hooper has the misfortune to be the daughter of a gentleman of superior intelligence and limited financial means. She has the even greater misfortune to possess a mother who is determined to see that each of her daughters marries a man of good fortune.”

“The young lady can hardly be blamed for that!”

“Perhaps not.” Sherlock’s tone, however, indicated that her thought Molly Hooper could have been more discerning in her choice of parents. “As for the diminutive Miss Hooper herself, she is hampered by too much good breeding.” He held up his hand to stop John from inserting another objection. “She possesses some intelligent--I suspect she may even be interested in the sciences--however, she is too aware of what is expected of a young lady of her social standing to act on her interests. She puts others ahead of herself almost to the point of martyrdom. She has turned down opportunities to dance so that her two youngest sisters might have partners. It is clear from the way her feet have been beating out the movement to the latest country dance that she wishes for a partner. Instead, she has spent the evening running errands for her mama and the other matrons and listening to that pretentious fool Donovan rattling on about London fashions. One has only to look at Miss Margaret Hooper’s dress to realize that fashion is not a favorite subjects of hers. I am certain that her dance with you was inspired more by a desire to see whether you are a worthy suitor for her favorite sister than with her own wish to dance.”

“Well, there you are wrong at least,” John Watson replied. “We hardly discussed her sister.” He paused, recalling the conversation he had had with Molly Hooper. “In fact, I hardly know how we came to speak of the topic, but we spent most of the time discussing the latest techniques for treating men on the battlefield. Now that I recall it, the conversation was most singular for a country dance. Hardly what one should be discussing with an unmarried lady!”

“Ah,” Holmes nodded as the last piece of his deductions slipped into place. “Medicine. That is her passion. Well, that proves what a fool little Miss Hooper is! She quite wastes her time on that subject since, as a member of the weaker sex, she will never have the opportunity to practice what she has learned. Now, John, why don’t you go back for one more dance with her elder sister? It is apparent that you have decided to fall in love with Miss Mary Hooper while we are here. The sooner you let her break your heart, the sooner we will get this farce over with. Then Harriet, Clara, Miss Adler and I can return to civilization!”

From the corner where she sat within hearing of the two men but concealed from their sight, Molly Hooper seethed. “Diminutive.” “Wasting her time. “Martyrdom.” The man was obnoxious. One might just as well point out that Mr. Sherlock Holmes was too proud, too judgmental, and too tall.

Entirely too tall. 

Freakishly tall.

And had she mentioned proud?

As she confided to her sister Mary later that night, Dr. Watson was all that was pleasant and charming. He would make her the best of husbands if that was what Mary wanted. “But, Mary darling, do not ask me to stand beside Mr. Sherlock Holmes at your wedding. A man as good as Dr. Watson must have other friends who can play the role of best man. Mr. Holmes disgusts me above all other men I have met. I want nothing to do with the man.”

********


End file.
